Universal closure assembly



Feb. 11, 1964 M. B. DUNN UNIVERSAL CLOSURE ASSEMBLY 4 Sheets-Sheet '1 Filed Jan. 4, 1962 I NVENTOR MAURICE B. DUNN ATTORNEYS 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 mu on NN w O O m G M 3+ m m I L VE. ow \g 1 NF an on 2. J J

INVENTOR MAURICE B. DUNN ATTORNEYS Feb. 11, 1964 M. B. DUNN UNIVERSAL CLOSURE ASSEMBLY Filed Jan. 4, 1962 Feb. 11, 1964 M. B. DUNN 3,120,730

' UNIVERSAL CLOSURE ASSEMBLY Filed Jan. 4, 1962 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR MAURICE B.DUNN

BY wiww, L d kl? 6 ATTORNEYS 'Feb. 11, 1964 M. B. DUNN UNIVERSAL CLOSURE ASSEMBLY INVENTOR. MAURICE B. DUNN 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 BY miww 0 Filed Jan. 4, 1962 United States Patent Office 3,129,730 Patented Feb. 11, 1964 3,120,730 UNTVERSAL CLOSURE ASSEMBLY Maurice B. Dunn, Charlotte, N.C., assignor to American Machine & Foundry Company, a corporation of New Jersey Filed Jan. 4, 1962, Ser. No. 164,234 14 Claims. (Cl. 53-266) This invention relates generally to a package closing machine and more particularly to a machine for setting up and automatically securing any unerected side of a box to other sides thereof that have been previously raised and secured together.

The boxes on which the present machine is designed to operate are employed primarily to enclose rolls, buns, pastries, and various other forms of baked goods, although they might just as easily be employed to package other forms of merchandise as well. Prior to this invention, it was customary to raise the four sidewalls of a box blank in a single operation, after which operation, the goods or merchandise to be enclosed by the box were inserted within the box or carton from above. Such a procedure raised a number of difiiculties which the present invention seeks to eliminate. Among other prob lems which were encountered, it was difficult to accurately locate the rolls above the box immediately prior to insertion therein. Also, the mechanism employed in the known operation was complicated and subject to breakdown. Then, too, the packaged article, rolls, pastries, and the like, were subject to damage during the packaging process. These problems have been largely eliminated by means of the machine set forth in the present disclosure.

An apparatus of the general type which is designed to raise three sidewalls of a four-sided box is disclosed in the co-pending application to Marasso et al., Serial No. 790,420, filed February 2, 1959. In that case, three sidewalls of the box had been raised and secured together in a previous conventional operation, such as by pasting, and were flattened by folding over on and into engagement with the bottom panel for purposes of compact stacking. The fourth sidewall remains fiat and co planar with the bottom panel. Then, during the operation of the Marasso et al. machine, upon receipt of a signal to commence filling a box, a so folded box is mechanically removed from a stack or supply thereof, and three sidewalls of the blank are raised by suction apparatus acting in conjunction with a pair of cooperating sidewall engaging members, leaving the fourth sidewall down to effect an open end to the box.

Following that operation of raising the three sidewalls, the box is moved along a conveyor until it is positioned opposite a bun filling machine where its motion terminated momentarily. The open end or side of the box faced the bun packing apparatus so that by other mechanical apparatus freshly baked buns or other goods can be slid into the box via its open end. The filled box again commenecs to move with the conveyor whereupon the open sidewall of the box was caused to engage a cam plate which acted to raise said open sidewall to a vertical and closed position.

However, it is notable that the application referred to above does not disclose any positive means of assuring locking closure of the fourth sidewall in its raised position. The present invention, therefore contemplates a mechanism which Will operate not only to erect the fourth sidewall but also to lock it in its raised position with the adjacent erected sidewalls.

The package closing machine disclosed herein is preferably used in conjunction with a machine which previously raises and automatically interlocks only three sidewalls of a four-sided box blank, such as the machine disclosed in my copending application, Serial No. 164,235, filed January 4, 1962, for Box Erecting Machine, in the upper right corner of its page 2. After the three sidewalls have been raised and locked together, the empty box with its unerected fourth sidewall is transferred to a conveyor which delivers same to a filling position adjacent a filling machine such as the one disclosed in the Marasso et al. application cited above. Subsequent to filling, the box is conveyed to a station adjacent the closure machine disclosed herein, by means of which the fourth sidewall is raised and automatically locked in erected position with the other adjacent sidewalls. When this latter operation is completed by the machine of the present invention, the box may move on to a final station for wrapping with cellophane, polyethylene, or other suitable material providing a sanitary seal for the enclosed contents.

It is therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a machine for automatically erecting and locking the fourth side of a box to other previously erected sides thereof.

Another object of this invention is the provision of a closure machine which operates to raise the fourth side of a box in which three sides have been previously raised and secured together and further to provide means to urge a pair of flaps formed at the ends of the fourth side into cooperating cuts formed in two of the upstanding sidewalls adjacent the fourth sidewall.

A further object of this invention is to provide spring means for engaging the fourth sidewall adjacent the interior rim thereof which serves to urge the tabs formed on the ends of the fourth side into a locked position within the cuts formed in the two raised sidewalls adjacent the fourth sidewall.

Still another object of the invention is the provision F of a first mechanism for erecting the fourth sidewall and second mechanism for folding the end flaps of the fourth sidewall and urging the tabs thereof into locking engagement within their respective tab receiving cuts formed in the end portions of the adjacent raised sidewalls.

Other objects and advantages will become more apparent from the more detailed description of the invention which follows and appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which like numerals refer to like parts throughout and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevation view of a preferred form of the machine of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a front elevation view of the machine shown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a top plan view of the right hand portion of the machine illustrated in FIGURE 2 with the fourth sidewall engaging apparatus in lowered position;

FIGURE 4 is a top plan view repeating the lower part of FIGURE 3' (turned clockwise, for convenience in illustration) but showing the sidewall engaging apparatus in its raised position; and

FIGURES 5A, 5B, 5C, and 5D illustrate a number of steps involved in the sidewall raising operation.

Referring now in particular to the drawings, the clo sure machine of this invention is generally indicated at 10 and includes a frame structure 20 which may be adjustable, if desired, so as to be readily adaptable to conveyors having various working heights. Such an expedient will allow the machine to be easily employed in conjunction with presently existing mass production machinery.

Shaft 22 in FIGURE 2 may be coupled to suitable motor means (not shown) for operation of the machine. Alternatively shaft 22 may be coupled to the drive mechanism (not shown) of the machine adjacent thereto which performs the previous production-line operation, for example to the machine which operates to till the boxes. Such a coupling arrangement assures that the machine of the present invention remains in timed relation with the entire packaging operation.

Conventional bearings serve to mount the shaft for rotation in the frame structure 20. Mounted on the shaft 22 is a conventional safety clutch 24. Adjacent thereto and fixed to shaft 22 is a sprocket 26 which serves to rotate sprocket 28 through a suitable drive chain 30. R- tation of the sprocket 26, operates to rotate a cam shaft 32 at a speed substantially equal to that of the drive shaft 22, the sprockets 26 and 28 being of the same diameter. While a sprocket and chain drive arrangement has been illustrated in the drawings it is to be understood that various other forms of drive mechanisms such as pulleys or gearing may be employed in its stead.

Cam shaft 32 is likewise rotatably mounted in frame structure 20. A hand cycling wheel 34 is secured to one end of the cam shaft 32 and serves as an emergency device which is operable to rotate cam shaft 32 if power to the drive shaft 22 should be absent when it is necessary to operate the closure assembly.

In FIGURE 2 there is shown a pair of closure unit assemblies 36 and 37, the difference in the two residing only in the fact that one is a right hand assembly and the other is a left hand assembly. During operation of the machine, the assemblies operate in unison, the right hand assembly acting upon the right hand side of the box, and the left hand assembly acting upon the left hand side of the box. Since it is understood that the elements employed in each of the assemblies are identical except for being opposites, the detailed description thereof will be mainly to the right hand assembly 37. Each closure unit assembly is mounted upon a common shaft 38 by means of a pillow block 40. Shaft 38 is mounted for rotation in the frame structure and is positioned substantially parallel to drive shaft 22 and cam shaft 32. The support shaft 38 is suitably threaded as at 39 and each pillow block 49 is suitably tapped so that rotation of the shaft 38 will cause movement of the pillow block along the surface of the shaft. An adjustment wheel 42 is fixed to one end of the shaft 38 for rotating same by hand. Rotation of shaft 38 thereby serves to alter the spacing between the two closure unit assemblies so as to enable the machine to receive, for the closure operation, boxes of varying widths. Thus it is apparent that opposite hand threads must be formed on the right hand side and on the left hand side of the shaft 38 so that the closure unit assemblies, upon rotation of shaft 38, will either move toward each other at an equal rate or will move away from each other at a like rate.

Suitably mounted to the pillow block is a stationary bracket 44 to the forward end of which is pivoted, as at 46, aside engaging or erecting plate 48. Also pivotally mounted to the stationary bracket 44 as at is a second bracket 52, to the forward end of which is pivotally mounted, as at 54, a tab engaging roller 56 which is preferably composed of nylon material and which serves to fold the end tabs of the fourth side of the box into engaging relation within the tab receiving slots of the adjacent raised sidewalls.

A first slide member 58 is slidably received within the stationary bracket 44. Mounted for rotation about substantially vertically disposed axes are a pair of slide rollers 60 which are spaced apart and which are positioned on the underside of the slide member 58 adjacent the aft end thereof. In like manner, a second slide member 62 is mounted for slidable engagement within a passageway of the second or pivotal bracket 52 and like the slide rod 58 mounts a pair of slide rollers 63 for rotation about substantially vertically disposed axes. These rollers are spaced apart, and are located adjacent the aft end of the slide member 62.

A slide roller 64 is disposed about a vertically extending axis and is mounted for rotation upon extension 66 of the stationary bracket 44. A compression spring 68 is located between the brackets 44 and 52 rearwardly 4 of the pivot point 50. By means of spring 68 engaging the side walls of the bracket members, the bracket 52 is urged in a clockwise direction (FIGURE 4) about the pivot 50 with respect to the stationary bracket 44, and the roller 64 is thereby caused to engage the generally flat side 61 of the slide 62 at all times.

Mechanism for respectively driving the side erecting plates 48 and tab folding rollers 56 include spaced apart earns 70 and 72 (FIIGURE 2) which are secured upon the rotatable cam shaft 32. A pair of bell cranks 74 and 76 (FIGURES l and 2) are mounted for oscillation about axes defined by the rod members 78 and 80 respectively. The rods 78 and 80 are rotatably mounted to the framework 20 and are positioned substantially parallel to the shafts 22 and 32.

As seen most clearly in FIGURES l and 3, bell crank 74 includes an arm 82 having a roller which engages and follows a groove formed in the surface of earn 72. Likewise, bell crank 76 includes an arm 84 having a roller which engages and follows a groove formed in the opposite surface of the same cam 72. As may be noted in FIGURE 2, the left cam- 79 has cooperating with its opposite surfaces two cams following bell cranks 75 and '77 respectively operating just like bell cranks 74 and 76.

It will be evident, then, that rotation of the drive shaft 22 will impart like motion to cam shaft 32 by means of the chain connection therebetween, and consequent rotation of cam 72 pivots both bell cranks 74 and 76 in an oscillating motion as the cam followers thereof follow their respective cam grooves.

The upper arms 79 and 81 of hell cranks 74 and 76 are respectively connected at their upper end to a pair of rods 83 and 85. These rods are engageably received between the slide rollers 60 and 63 respectively mounted upon the slide members 58 and 62. In this manner, movement imparted to each of the closure unit assemblies is synchronized.

Another pair of bell cranks respectively having upper arms and 92 (FIGURE 1) are secured respectively to the folder plate 48 and the tab fold roller 56 adjacent their respective pivots 46 and 54. A lower arm 94 connects the upper arm 90 to the forward end of the first slide member 58 disposed directly behind slide 62 in FIGURE 1, while a lower arm 96 connects the upper arm 92 to the forward end of the second slide member 62. As will now be appreciated, action by the aforementioned cams causes reciprocation of the slide members 58 and 62 from their leftward starting positions illustrated in FIGURE 1 rightwardly and back again once per cam cycle which in return respectively causes the erecting plate 48 and the tab fold roller 56 to move first upwardly, then downwardly, about their respective pivot axes 46 and 54.

'Formed in the side of the second slide member 62 adjacent the forward end thereof is an arcuate detent 98 whose radius of curvature closely approximates that of the slide roller 64. When the second slide member 62 is caused to move rearwardly, the slide roller 64 engaging the side of the slide member 62 rolls along the surface thereof. When the detent portion 98 moves to a position opposite that of the slide roller 64, the compression spring 68 rotates the bracket member 52 about the pivot 50 until the roller 64' fully engages the arcuate surface of the detent, as is most clearly seen in FIGURE 4. The object of this particular operation will become more apparent from the subsequent description of the machines operation.

Also mounted upon the stationary bracket 44 is a vertically extending bracket 100 (FIGURES 1 and 2) upon which is supported a leaf spring v10/2. The leaf spring is connected to an adjusting slide 104 and a gripping member 106 is manually operable to move the slide upon the screws 108' which are engageably received within the slot 116 formed in the slide member. The leaf spring 102 is inclinely mounted and movement of the slide 104 serves to adjust the height of the end of the spring above the erecting plate 48 when horizontally disposed. Spring 102 is designed to engage the interior surface of the side 112 of the box 114 after the side has been partially raised by plates 48, and its purpose will become more clear upon the description of the machines operation.

In the following operational description, it must be recalled that the foregoing detailed structural description is as to only the right hand closure assembly 37 of FIGURE 2, but that the left hand closure asembly 36 is similar.

Operation As will be appreciated from FIGURE 1, box 114 is moved along the conveyor belt 116 until it is positioned opposite the closure station of the machine 102 Positioned thus, the box 114 has had three sidewalls raised previously, and the fourth, unraised sidewall 112 remains in cplanar relationship with the bottom of the box and engages the top surface of the unraised folder plate 48. The box has also been filled in a previous operation and at the station awaits closure of the fourth side thereof to entirely enclose the contents within the box structure.

When the box reaches a point adjacent the folder plate 48, a suitable switch (not shown) is actuated which will terminate movement of the conveyor during the closure operation of the machine 10. Means not shown may be provided. to. push the stopped box rightwardly across a dead plate 115 until the unerected side panel 112 of the box properly rests on raising plates 48. In some cases such means and dead plate may not be necessary if the desired positioning of side panel 112 can be obtained by the conveyor line itself. After the closure unit has performed its function successive steps in the operation of which are shown in FIGURES A through 5D, the conveyor belt will commence movement again, placing the next box in position for closure.

As was mentioned previously, the drive shaft 22 may be suitably coupled to the drive shaft of a machine performing a prior operation along the assembly line so that the closure machine 19 might thereby be maintained in timed relation to the adjacent machine. Power driving the shaft 22 is transferred by means of chain 30 to the cam shaft 32 rotatably mounted in thevframe structure 20. Rotation of the cam shaft likewise imparts rotation to the cams 7t and 72 mounted thereon.

As the cams rotate, movement is transferred to hell cranks 74 and 76, there being one pair for each cam, whose arms 82 and 84- respectively engage opposite surfaces of each cam. The movement of the bell cranks is transferred to the slides 58 and 62 'which through further bell cranks having respective upper arms 96 and 912, are connected to the folder plates 48 and the tab rollers 56. As noted previously, reciprocation of the slide members 5 3 and 62 will cause up and down pivotal movement of folder plates 48' and tab rollers 56 about their respective pivot axes 46 and 54.

As the cams rotate therefore in a clockwise direction as viewed in FIGURE 1, the bell. cranks 74 and 76 are rotated about their respective axes in a clockwise direction thereby sliding the members 58 and 62 toward the right. At this point it should be apparent that the cam 70 and its associated mechanism serves to operate the side erecting plates 48, while the cam 72 and its associated mechanism drives the tab folding rollers 56. The folder plates 48 and the tab rollers 56 will be caused to rotate counterclockwise about their pivot axes to a fully raised position. For best operation, it is preferred, as is the case for which this invention was made, that box 114 be previously filled with merchandise or the like to help insure by the weight thereof that side 112 may be easily folded up about its bend line 118 (FIGURE 5A).

The opposite sides of cams 70 and 72 have their grooves formed in such a manner that the movement of the tab fold rollers 56 is slightly behind that of the erecting plates 43. Also, the leaf springs 102 are suitably positioned to engage the interior of sidewall 112 of the box as it is being raised by the erecting plates 48. This action by the springs on the sidewall 112 (see especially FIGURES 5B and 5C) provides a moments hesitation, allowing the tab folding rollers 56 engaging the tabs 120 formed at the ends of the sidewall 112, to fold about the bend lines 112 so as to be in position for reception within the slits 124 which are precut in the raised sides 126 and 128 adjacent the open end of the box 114. In a previous operation, for example by the apparatus disclosed in my aforesaid application Serial No. 164,235, the slits 124 are opened so that, in the present operation, the tab members 120, urged into sliding engagement with the surface 13!) of each of the raised sides 126 and 128 are easily inserted within the respective slit 124 and locked in position therein.

As movement continues, the folder plates 48 raise the sidewall 112 beyond the position of engagement with the leaf springs 102. When slide member 62 is moved to the position shown in FIGURE 4 by means of the spring 68 urging the bracket member 52 in a clockwise direction about pivot 50, the tab folding roller 56 is moved in a direction toward the raised side 126 of the box 114 to assure movement of the tab member 126 into the open slit 124 in the raised side 126, and similarly for the other side.

At this point, when the tabs 12% have been received within the slits 124 in locking relation thereto, the operation of the closure unit upon the box is terminated and cams 70 and 72 positively return the folder plates 48 and the tab rollers 56 to their original position as indicated in FIGURES l, 3, and 5A. Movement of the conveyor is thereupon commenced in order to move the next box into position for closure.

While the invention has been described in detail with specific examples, such examples are intended as illustrations only inasmuch as it will be apparent that there may be provided various modifications in the construction, arrangement, and general combination of elements and details disclosed without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. The present embodiments are therefore to be taken in all respects as illustrative and not limiting, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than. by the foregoing specification with all changes falling within the scope, meaning, and range of equivalency of the claims intended to be embraced therein.

What is claimed is:

l. A machine for setting up the unerected fourth side of a four-sided box having integrally with said side a bottom panel to which. said side is hinged and having the other three sides erected and secured one to the next and to said bottom panel, said fourth side having flaps respectively hinged. to the extremities thereof, erected side ends respectively adjacent said flaps each having an opened tab receiving slit at a position spaced inwardly from the extremity thereof, each said flap having a locking tab insertable into the associated tab receiving slit to lock the associated sides in upstanding relation with respect to said bottom panel, comprising a fourth side erecting station, means for moving said box to said station in a generally horizontal path of travel with said three sides erected and said fourth side thereof positioned in generally co-planar relationship with said bottom of said box and said means supporting said bottom of said box and said erected sides against substantial vertical movement at said station, fourth erecting means located at said station means for operating said erecting means to fold said fourth side upwardly about its bottom panel hinge to substantially the same position relative to said bottom panel as said other three sides, and means operating in timed relation with said erecting means for folding the end flaps of the fourth side and urging the tabs thereof into locking engagement with their respective tab receiving slit in the adjacent previouslyerected sides.

2. The machine defined in claim 1 wherein said erecting means includes at least one pivotally mounted plate engaging the unerected fourth side for engaging and mov- 7 ing said fourth side upwardly to erected position, and wherein said flap folding means includes a pair of pivotally mounted rollers engaging the end flaps of the fourth side.

3. The machine defined in claim 1 and further comprising means for adjusting said erecting means and said flap folding means into positions for receiving any one of various sizes of boxes for folding and locking the fourth side thereof as aforesaid.

4. The machine defined in claim 1 and further comprising resilient means engaging the upper surfaces of the fourth side as same is folded upwardly for momentarily restraining the folding movement thereof whereby movement of the said tabs into locked position within the slits in the previously erected sides is aided.

5. The machine defined in claim 1 and further comprising resilient means for moving said flap folding means laterally toward the previously erected sides adjacent the fourth side when said fiap folding means approaches a raised position.

6. The machine defined in claim 1 and further comprising a stationary bracket, first slide means mounted for reciprocation on said stationary bracket, a second bracket pivotally mounted on said stationary bracket, second slide means mounted on said pivoted bracket for reciprocation relative thereto, bell crank means fixed to said erecting means and connected to said first slide means for raising said erecting means upon movement of said first slide means, bell crank means fixed to said flap folding means and connected to said second slide means for raising said fiap folding means upon movement of said second slide means, and means for reciprocating each of said slide means.

7. The machine defined in claim 6 and further comprising vertically disposed roller means mounted on said stationary bracket and engaging said second slide means, said second slide means being formed with a groove located adjacent the end thereof connected to said bell crank means, resilient means, said groove being adapted to be urged into cooperating engagement with said roller means by said resilient means upon movement of said slide means on said bracket, said second bracket being caused by said resilient means to pivot and move said roller means to urge the fiaps of the fourth side into engagement with the said slits of the adjacent erected sides.

8. Apparatus for setting up one sidewall including flaps at opposite ends thereof of a filled box having a bottom comprising a vertically immovable support for said filled box, said box having three of its sides erected, and its fourth side extending outwardly from and substantially co-planar with its bottom, first pivotal means located at one side of said support for engaging the sidewall when in its unraised position in the plane of the bottom of the box, second pivotal means coacting with said first pivotal means for engaging the end flaps, means for raising said first pivotal means to a substantially vertical position relative to said support thereby serving to raise said side wall, means for raising said second pivotal means relative to said support thereby folding the end flaps about bend lines between the sidewall and end flaps such that 5.2 when operation of the setting up apparatus is terminated, the bottom of the box and said sidewall and end flaps all lie in mutually perpendicular planes substantially.

9. The apparatus defined in claim 8 wherein said first pivotal means included at least one pivotally mounted plate for engaging the unraised sidewall, and wherein said second pivotal means includes a pair of spaced apart pivotally mounted rollers for engaging the end flaps of the sidewall.

10. The apparatus defined in claim 9 further comprising resilient means for urging said pair of rollers laterally toward each other for moving the end flaps into the aforesaid mutually perpendicular position.

11. The apparatus defined in claim 8 and further comprising resilient means for engaging upper surface of the sidewall as same is raised as aforesaid for momentarily restraining the raising movement thereof whereby folding of the end flaps into a position mutually perpendicular to the sidewall and to the bottom of the box blank is aided.

12. The apparatus defined in claim 8 and further comprising means for adjusting said first and second pivotal means into positions for receiving any one of various sizes of boxes for raising the said one sidewall thereof as aforesaid.

13. The apparatus defined in claim 8 and further comprising a stationary bracket, first slide means mounted for reciprocation on said stationary bracket, a second bracket pivotally mounted on said stationary bracket, second slide means mounted on said second bracket for reciprocation relative thereto, bell crank means fixed to said first pivotal means and connected to said first slide means for raising said first pivotal means upon movement of said first slide means, bell crank means fixed to said second pivotal means and connected to said second slide means for raising said second pivotal means upon movement of said second slide means, and means for reciprocating each of said slide means.

14. The machine defined in claim 13 and further comprising roller means mounted on said stationary bracket and engaging said second slide means, said second slide means having a groove cooperating with said stationary bracket roller means located adjacent the end thereof and connected to said bell crank means, resilient means, said groove being adapted to be urged into cooperating engagement with said roller means by said resilient means upon movement of said slide means on said bracket, said second bracket being caused by said resilient means to pivot and move said roller means to urge the flaps of the sidewall into raised positions in planes substantially perpendicular to those of the bottom of the box and the sidewall.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,863,370 Dorfman Dec. 9, 1958 2,929,302 Brown Mar. 27, 1960 2,937,578 Dorfman May 24, 1960 

1. A MACHINE FOR SETTING UP THE UNERECTED FOURTH SIDE OF A FOUR-SIDED BOX HAVING INTEGRALLY WITH SAID SIDE A BOTTOM PANEL TO WHICH SAID SIDE IS HINGED AND HAVING THE OTHER THREE SIDES ERECTED AND SECURED ONE TO THE NEXT AND TO SAID BOTTOM PANEL, SAID FOURTH SIDE HAVING FLAPS RESPECTIVELY HINGED TO THE EXTREMITIES THEREOF, ERECTED SIDE ENDS RESPECTIVELY ADJACENT SAID FLAPS EACH HAVING AN OPENED TAB RECEIVING SLIT AT A POSITION SPACED INWARDLY FROM THE EXTREMITY THEREOF, EACH SAID FLAP HAVING A LOCKING TAB INSERTABLE INTO THE ASSOCIATED TAB RECEIVING SLIT TO LOCK THE ASSOCIATED SIDES IN UPSTANDING RELATION WITH RESPECT TO SAID BOTTOM PANEL, COMPRISING A FOURTH SIDE ERECTING STATION, MEANS FOR MOVING SAID BOX TO SAID STATION IN A GENERALLY HORIZONTAL PATH OF TRAVEL WITH SAID THREE SIDES ERECTED AND SAID FOURTH SIDE THEREOF POSITIONED IN GENERALLY CO-PLANAR RELATIONSHIP WITH SAID BOTTOM OF SAID BOX AND SAID MEANS SUPPORTING SAID BOTTOM OF SAID AND SAID ERECTED SIDES AGAINST SUBSTANTIAL VERTICAL MOVEMENT AT SAID STATION, FOURTH ERECTING MEANS LOCATED AT SAID STATION MEANS FOR OPERATING SAID ERECTING MEANS TO FOLD SAID FOURTH SIDE UPWARDLY ABOUT ITS BOTTOM PANEL HINGE TO SUBSTANTIALLY THE SAME POSITION RELATIVE TO SAID BOTTOM PANEL AS SAID OTHER THREE SIDES, AND MEANS OPERATING IN TIMED RELATION WITH SAID ERECTING MEANS FOR FOLDING THE END FLAPS OF THE FOURTH SIDE AND URGING THE TABS THEREOF INTO LOCKING ENGAGEMENT WITH THEIR RESPECTIVE TAB RECEIVING SLIT IN THE ADJACENT PREVIOUSLY ERECTED SIDES. 